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    "localId": "183392169",
    "label": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, the Ambassador of the Union of South Africa, and Mr. Satterthwaite",
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    "id": "183392169",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson, the Ambassador of the Union of South Africa, and Mr. Satterthwaite",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/183392169",
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        "Dean Acheson Papers",
        "Secretary of State Files"
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    "productionDates": [
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            "day": 24,
            "logicalDate": "1950-07-24",
            "month": 7,
            "year": 1950
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    "seq": 2,
    "pageIndex": 0,
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    "ocrText": "-2-\n3. Inadequacy of forces in Africa between South Africa and\nthe Mediterranean in the event of war.\n4. The very limited equipment now available to the Union Dé-\nfense forces.\nAmbassador Jooste vent on to say that any military assistance\nwhich the Union Government could give in Korea would be no more than\na token detachment which would have little or no influence on the\nprogress of the campaign in Korea. Finally the Ambassador said that\notwithstanding its belief that it would be unvise to send forces\nto Korea it wished to help in any way it could to support the\nResolutions of the Security Council and would be pleased to hear\nfrom the United States what form this help could take.\nThe Secretary expressed his disappointment that the decision\nof the South African Government was not to make ground forces or\nother actual military assistance available at this time. He pointed\nout that the United States forces were hard pressed in Korea, that\nbecause of the need for rest only two actual divisions were available\nfor the fighting there and actual military assistance vas nost\nwelcome. He said that if many countries, for one reason or another,\nvere unable to send military assistance, the burden on the United\nStates would be very great and that although some countries felt\nthat since they could only give a battalion it had no effect on the\noutcome, several battalions from several countries in the form of a\nbrigade and in the end another division or divisions would be ready\nto help. The Secretary emphasized that military assistance from\nSouth Africa was not desired as a token for propaganda effects but\nactually to help with the fighting.\nThe South African Ambassador referred to an article in the\nNew York Times of July 23 which said that the United States did not\nwish very much help from France, the United Fingdom, and the\nNetherlands because they were Colonial powers and the use of troops\nfrom Colonial powers would have bad propaganda effects. The\narticle said that what this Government wanted was more troops from\nAsia, excepting China, and Latin America. The South African\nAmbassador said he did not believe this was more than newspaper\nspeculation and requested the Secretary's views. The Secretary\nsaid this vas not the case and assured the South African Ambassador\nthat aid from the United Kingdom, France, New Zealand, Australia\nand Pakistan vas most welcome.\nDECLASSIFIED\nSECRET\nAuthority\nNLT- 70.49\nEUR: BNA: ISatter thwai te : snm\nBy HL NLT Date 5-17-79"
}